24 ) No idea
37) I thought Defence and Railways sepearely mainted
55)
Fayol on decentralisation said
“anything that increases the importance of subordinates is decentralisation”

And regarding “policy” …
Now if we consider Management ..Fayol says
“Irrespective of whether clerk or chief exec all perform management” ( hence This activity is said to be integrated )But However he agrees that this function is more concentrated at top ..( Refer P&P)

80) a ??
Co-or is both +ve and -ve ( Assertion)
Reason should have both +ve n -ve aspect but here only -ve aspect given

91) hawthrone effect is about Human Relations not Behaviour .
Behaviour is abt scinetifc methodology of study as opposed to HRT . Yeah it had an effect ..classical theory also gave rise to HRT if u can argue in that manner ..

290 will be safe for pub ad combination….since there were no questions on management so that made the paper the easy ….so the hindi belt ppl smashed the paper….so cutoff in pub ad paper might touch 90 also ……polity like questions dominated the entire paper so cutoff will definitely be around 90

friends….what is this i am hearing…ppl r saying thaT Pub ad paper was the easiest of all optionals….all the coaching institutes believe this….and they say cut off will b …………….. 87 for pub ad and 57 for GS…..

Answer of Question 90 is given wrong.
It should be just Rate-busters and Chislers as Elton Mayo only gave to rate affecting terms. The term Squealor was meant to describe those to give information to the supervisor about the group.. Hence, it does not take about rate of output.

Answer 71 should also be b) and not c) because Directorates are usually manned by specialist, but there are examples when generalists have also headed State Directorates. The word “Always” is important when we consider the option.

I overall cut off score must be 250+ and GS cutoff should be go upto 70+

pub adm paper was easy…but there is a difference in doing a question and ”correctly” doing a question….people make tall claims…many questions were wrong….answers provided by many institutes r wrong… the options were tricky…not that much easy as we r thinking…there is negative marking…..around 80 would be safe

pub adm paper was not that much easy as people r saying…..it looks easy to other pple,coaching institutes etc., coz…they see it in a stressless condition…without any time boundation…..it was difficult for students who appeared into it as they had to do it within time limit..that too with accuracy….simple looking questions may be wrong as some optionals were too similar…..

@Sanmeet Kaur…..u r saying ur scores r 89 in pub adm and 87 in gs….and total is 310…….i m doubting……..bcoz…..how is it possible…that u have not made a single mistake….deduct ur negative marks from pub adm and gs….and then count the total…….btw all the best

@Sanmeet Kaur…and others…I want to tell all the people that 290 was never ever the cut off…no body knows the exact cut-off of the previous years….earlier when there was positive marking…then even 60 in gs was considered a good score….

Dear Sanmeet Kaur…u said u attempted 115 in pub adm out of which 89 r correct…..means u will get 213.92 in pub adm…..in gs u attemped 137 in gs and got 87 r correct….means u will get 70.5 in gs….and the total is 284.42……and u r saying u will get 310…how is it possible?…..and u r also saying….cut off will be 290….it means u too r out…….but still i wish u all the best …i dont want any clashes with u….i want u to get selected and serve the nation……my wishes r always with u……..

Although it gives an impression that the public administration paper was the easiest till date, it is noteworthy that no coaching institute till now has been able to come up with fully correct answers. there are at least 7-8 discrepancies. add to this the fact that most of the options in public administration are always confusing. what more can be said in this regard than the logic behind assertion and reason. earlier, they could be correctly solved in varying degrees but just show me a single student who can say that he/she has correctly solved all of them. so no need to worry about the cut offs . more over, this year, there has been a substantial increase in number of seats, so almost all the optional paper question were purposefully kept only a bit easier as compared with previous years. . but this rationale holds little logic in public ad paper as options are always confusing. just start preparing for the mains. cut off in pub ad never crossed 65 since -ve marks were introduced (strictly my personal understanding)

can any body tell me answers to these questions?solutions vary in these questions and are not matching. (public administration)

Which of the following is/are correct in
A) respect of ‘Zero Hour’ discussion?
1. It is not directed against individual
Minister,
2. It covers questions raised over matters
of public importance

B)Which of the following statements is/are
correct of the writ of prohibition?
1. It is an order issued by a higher court
commanding a lower court to cease
from proceeding in some matters not
within its jurisdiction.
2. It can be claimed by an aggrieved party
as a matter of right

C)Consider the following statements Human
relations theory
1. views organization as a psychological
and social system
2. takes the social view of man
3. emphasizes the physiological and
mechanical aspects of organization
4. assumes that people are homogeneous

D)To which of the following notions of the
man in an organizational setup does the
concept of bounded rationality relate more
closely?
1. Economic
2. Optimizing
3. Administrative
4. Satisficing
Select the correct answer using the code

E)Which among the following countries does
not have a Central Civil Service
Commission charged with the
responsibility for recruitment to the higher
civil service?
a. Canada
b. Great Britain
c. USA
d. France

F)Which one of the following is not
identified by Nicholas Henry as a factor
for organizational change?
a. Process of adaptation
b. Task environment
c. Technology of organization
d. Organization behaviour

G)The ‘Collegial’ type of executive can be
found in which one of the following
countries?
a. Japan
b. France
c. Switzerland
d. Great Britain

Why are you worried about the cut off? There is no reason to be worried (unless this was your final attempt!!)

Just go on preparing for the main exam even if you scored low because worrying about the cut off is not going to change anything! And prelim preparation for 2010 can start “earliest” by dec 2009 so there are still many months left.

Remember that this exam is all about self discipline and having a positive attitude. If these qualities are not present then even scoring 350+ will not help you in clearing all the 3 stages of the exam.

Moreover scaling could play a vital role as it did in ras prelims this time . I myself got almost 70 additional marks in pub ad bcoz of scaling. Bt in case of upsc mathods and procedures are ultra hidden so it is better to start firmly for mains.

last year i got 202 in prelims and i cleared prelims..that time people were saying 220 plus…i don’t think cut off for pub ad is 80 odd or 90 odd..even though some people may get marks as high as 80 or 90..their numbers are are quite lesss…so the rest of them lie between 200 and 230…this is my feeling…if your heart says u did well ..u will clear…don’t waste time on these cut-off..did any organisation made a survey or what…bull shit..leave that dirty work to upsc and start preparing…b’coz after u get through prelims ..the time is not sufficient to work on mains…b’caz everyday o keep on changing strategies and days will disappear in no matter of time…anyway my humble request to people who are getting high marks is please don’t damage our morale by putting ur scores..try to encourage others…let them prepare…and finally objectivity is differenr from subjectivity eventhough u get less marks and clear prelims don’t feel like u are poor in the subject…i myself is an example ,coz i got 341 on mains in pub ad…
anyway my score this year is 75 and 46 in gs…
better than last year…

You are right Vijay…..last year the cut-off was not more than 190 that was the lowest I had seen. This year it may go up a bit…but no way the cut off can above 220. However, as said above, above 242 is safe.

well first and foremost all those guys/girls who have blasted the prelims 09 by securing 300+ & so on heartly congratulations to u all….but please dont make it a standard for getting through as we few who are not as BRILLIANT as u guys never even get close.
now as far as i am concerned this is my third attempt wrote mains 1st attempt sat for interview in my 2nd that was last year my roll no-005824.
And this is as i said my 3rd attempt…and i scored 227 with socio as my optional …way better than wat i did last yr, could manage only 208 ….and STLL MADE IT….now for giys with pub ad…come on give me a freakin time out…@ Sanmeet kaur…if u have scored 300+ good for u but OTHERS HAVE’NT…so just dont make it stamped statement ….and even without neg marking it never went above the range of 250-270.

i have friends who have made it with 220+ last time….i dont knoe how easy or tough it was but anyone who is in the range of 220-240…get on with ur mains preparation.
and ya there is no cut off for G.S …there is only overall cut off and that i know of for sure….as a friend of myne scored 32 yes 32 in his G.S last time…but he blasted his optional{law} got 93 …AND MADE IT!…..so now stop pounding ur heads all u guys and get on with it!

well guys its not a watch game if u have done well enough u are through as simple as that….only 2-3% of the cream get or even touch the overall score of 300 or near about…rest are just like u and me…we land in that 200-240 region…and thats how things work…and guys dont believe in wat ppl say coz i have been through it a lot in my days as well some saying i scored 90+ and some saying 95+…and blah blah…let them blabber…listen and just forget.
@ASD …my mains score want as good as i had expected specially socio 2nd paper and pub ad 2nd as well came as a shoker….i managed only 128 in my pub ad 2nd….and 137 in my socio 2nd….which goes without saying wasnt the score i was expecting…..so managed 940…in my written.
as far as my interview goes i got balaguruswamy’s board…it went great ,atleast i thought so…they grilled me on everything…management…global financial crisis….thinkers…north-east…..in the end he said…we have asked you so many questions,do u have any for us….and i simply said no sir….he again insisted on asking one…but i politely said cant think of anything sir…i am blank rite now.
managed 141 in my interview….now i think if i had asked that question who knows it might have been a different story all-together.

hi! Benjamin it was a very informative post by you,so thanks a lot for clearing so many doubts that aspirants such as me have…i agree with you that there is a overall cutoff different for different subjects…and true to your statement has been agrred upon by my seniors out here in rajinder nagar.
as for ur interview i hope u will nail it this time for sure.
thanks again….ROHIT.

hi! Benjamin it was a very informative post by you,so thanks a lot for clearing so many doubts that aspirants such as me have…i agree with you that there is a overall cutoff different for different subjects…and true to your statement has been agreed upon by my seniors out here in rajinder nagar.
as for ur interview i hope u will nail it this time for sure and would definately be an IAS.
thanks again….ROHIT.

well Vidya your chances are bright…but let me clear one thing i am not from a history background so i dont know what was the paper like….i guess any score above 220 in any subject is a safe bet…but as u said u are from a reserved category(but there is not much difference when it comes to prelims as far as marks are concerned as within one mark 100’s of students lag behind the cut off).
so just start preparing and dont waste time…..hopefully u will make it.

Hi benjamin,thanx for reply..last year i cleard with total score of 214 marks..this year history paper was bit tough for me..almost 20 marks less than last year.anyway i hv already started mains preap..hope i wl get thru..thanx

I took pol sci. My total is 180+ (pol sci + gs)….any hope in general cat? I know i will know in 2 weeks…but want a general idea (also will help taking decision on job front)…very very very nervous…please let me know!

Ruchi thats a good score considering pol sci is ur opt…and u should keep ur hopes high that goes for @Vidya as well…as the rumours are floating that this year too over 10,000 will appear for mains as the seats have increased….and as they say there is no smoke without fire …so i guess this will come out to be true as it happened last year.
so the outcome of seats being increased would be , that the cut off will come down to accomodate the required no. of candidates….so stop pondering about the result and start preparing.
All the best!

what was the damn cut -off of geography this year?!its sky rocketed! last year one of my friends crossed with just 195 marks and this year im hearing 225+ reading the posts above it appears true though contacting coaching institutes they r telling 210 was fine for general candidates with geography.. whats the matter ?upsc playing games?

by the way if anyone knows the probable cut-off [ total, ie polsc+GS] this time around.. thanks. best of luck.

i could not clear the prelims from pub ad even though i scored 230 marks. but questions were easy this time and 245 could easily be scored if one was sincere enough. next time, certainly i hope to crack it. patience , hard work and a determined approach with free mind is the key to success.

well who so ever u are …u missed by 2 marks yes 2!….a fren of myne cleared it with 232 in pub ad general merit…..as i said before out here in prelims within one mark 100’s and 100’s of aspirants lag behind and then have to start again from the scratch.
so the best deal is that whatever u hear on the blogs and forums about the probabale cutoff make sure u get 20 marks higher than that…if its 200 be certain that it is what most people have scored and u need 220…same with 220 or even 240…depending on the paper that yr and scaling for different subjects.
so no matter what category u are from…..general merit,OBC,SC,ST and havent got through….dont loose hope…..just slog ur butt off…..work like an ass….u have 5 months at ur disposal to finish off ur 2nd paper and gs (mains)….and from jan start with ur prelims…and nail it & nail it hard.
hark and smart work pays!….best of luck.

@ Jiban…age relaxed for OBC is 3 yrs…so that makes it 33….and u will be 33 in 2010….so yes u can write the exam read the following.

(ii) Age Limits :

(a) A candidate must have attained the age of 21 years and must not have attained the age of 30 years on 1st August, 2009, i.e. he must have been born not earlier than 2nd August, 1979 and not later than 1st August, 1988.

(b) The upper age limit prescribed above will be relaxable:

(i) upto a maximum of five years if a candidate belongs to a Scheduled Caste or a Scheduled Tribe.

(ii) upto a maximum of three years in the case of candidates belonging to Other Backward Classes who are eligible to avail of reservation applicable to such candidates.

(iii) upto a maximum of five years if a candidate had ordinarily been domiciled in the State of Jammu & Kashmir during the period from the 1st January, 1980 to the 31st day of December, 1989.

(iv) upto a maximum of three years in the case of Defence Services personnel disabled in operations during hostilities with any foreign country or in a disturbed area and released as a consequence thereof:

(v) upto a maximum of five years in the case of ex-servicemen including Commissioned Officers and ECOs/SSCOs who have rendered at least five years Military Service as on 1st August, 2009 and have been released (i) on completion of assignment (including those whose assignment is due to be completed within one year from 1st August, 2009) otherwise than by way of dismissal or discharge on account of misconduct or inefficiency, or (ii) on account of physical disability attributable to Military Service, or (iii) on invalidment.

(vi) upto a maximum of five years in the case of ECOs/SSCOs who have completed an initial period of assignment of five years Military Service as on 1st August, 2009 and whose assignment has been extended beyond five years and in whose case the Ministry of Defence issues a certificate that they can apply for civil employment and that they will be released on three month’s notice on selection from the date of receipt of offer of appointment.

(vii) upto a maximum of 10 years in the case of blind, deaf-mute and Orthopaedically handicapped persons

I need an advise.
I have Geo ( 1st ) and Psycho ( 2nd) optionals.
I could not qualify this time with Geo this time ( border case )

I have two attempts left.
I aspire to complete my both optionals and traditional GS for mains preparation along with revision once. ( This may take around six months from now ) till around mid feburary…

Should I not appear in 2010 and appear in 2011 ??

What are the negativities in this decision ?

Would this be a negative impact in UPSC interview ?

As per my motivation , I would appear in State PCS to keep myself updated and plan to appear in UPSC Prelims 2011. Also, presently I am working in S/W firm.

@ Deep first and foremost brother we all are sailing in the same boat…few are ahead few at the back ,but sure are in the same boat…so dont address any one as sir.

now as far as ur query is concerned chalk out a plan that works the best for u…every one has a different way of preparing and so more the people u ask more the suggestions….what matters is your way of preparing and percieving , so think it over analyse what u are good at and how much time and effort u need to put in to finish off 2 optionals and G.S (mains).

now coming on to the negatives of such decision ….again varied viewpoints…but the only one i see is the age factor …if that is not the case then sure u can give it a rest and go all guns blazing in 2011….and u urself said state PSC exam u would be giving…so its good

in interview all these things dont matter if u have given a break or not…they have ur bio data its filled by u when u appear for mains( mains form)….and in it u have to fill how many attempts u have given and till what stage u reached…as in mains or interview….thats it nothing else.

so analyse ur strengths and work accordingly round them….coz in this competetive exam u cant hover round ur weaknesses and try to make them better…instead if u are good in something make it even better and being average with ur weaknesses will do…..as UPSC REQUIRES AVERAGE, SMART HARD WORKING INTELLIGENCE NOT BRAINOS.

iT IS PRETTY CLEAR THAT THE CUT OFF WAS GREATER FOR SOCIOLOGY AND I THINK IT TOUCHED 260.. MAY BE..I BELONGED TO SC CATEGORY, DAMN SURE THAT I AM GOING TO CLEAR IT ..BUT I WAS’T…I WAS EXPECTING AROUND 275 MARKS AFTER CROSS CHEKING MY ANSWERS…..ANY WAY BETTER IF SOMEONE HAD IDEA ABOUT CUT OFF…

@SUSHIL what are u talking about …i got through with 248 in socio and i too belong to SC category.Well i dont think u evaluated your marks correctly b’coz if u cant get through with 260-270 that too with reserved category then no body can.

@Manish..thanks for the information and reply..do you the scaling which is followed for SC/ST students…its according to subjects for open..but you know ..so many SC s opt for sociology,PA,History etc ..so obvious questionh is how scaling is being followed for SC.ST?